Nightmare
by drarryobsessed2620
Summary: A Drarry fanfic with a slight hint of Drapple later on in the story. Draco's a Healer, and Harry's an Auror. Their paths were bound to collide... Rated M because of possible violence. This doesn't quite get straight to the Drarry, so be patient.
1. Chapter 1

Draco woke up screaming once again, and looked at the grand clock in his room; 5:45. He'd been waking up from the same horrific nightmare several times per night since his parents had both been taken away to Azkaban. And that was 10 years ago. He had only gotten out of the hell because fancy-auror-boy-who-lived Harry Potter had insisted his innocence. Now dreams of dementors and death eater masks and dark marks and The Dark Lord and... Harry... haunted him every night.

Draco pulled open the curtains of his room in the lonely Malfoy Manor, and bright Spring light burst into the room highlighting the man's harsh blonde hair, ghostly pale skin, and dark circles framing the empty gray eyes. Another day he had to drag himself into St Mungo's for his job as a Healer. He had more than enough money to live off, but he didn't want his father's tainted money. He was going to earn his own living, and occupy himself with helping others; it was the least he could do to make up for his mistakes.

Harry looked at his watch; 5:45. He was expecting Ron and Dean - both fellow aurors - to apparate any second. On cue, two cracking sounds marked the arrival of the men, and they ran over to where Harry was stood. "Where do you think he went?" Whispered Ron, whose bright red hair was disguised with mud that he'd clumsily but smartly fallen in whilst searching for the accused Gregory Goyle. "That way" Harry pointed towards a dark group of trees. The trio set off at a fast pace when a flash of light hit Harry's arm and they whipped around to face Goyle, grinning at their stupidity. "CONJUNCTIVITIS" yelled Dean and Goyle's hands flew to his eyes which had been cursed into a painful state of almost-blindness. Ron cast "immobulus" to prevent the criminal from moving, and Harry, although wincing from his injured arm, grabbed his stiff body and apparated to the auror building shortly followed by his friends and colleges. "That was surprisingly easy" smirked Ron as the other two gawped at him. "Ron we followed that guy around half of the country before we caught him, and even then it was because he couldn't resist the urge to curse Harry's arm!" Dean exclaimed, causing them all to glance at the injury.

The sight before them made them gasp, and cry out for help. Harry had been ignoring the pain in his left arm, but now he could see that the sleeve of his uniform had burnt away to reveal peeled off skin and bubbling flesh where the spell had hit. Harry wretched at the sight, and as he heard people rushing to his side and the sickening feel of apparation, the world turned black.

At work, Draco was looking through the files of one of his patients while drinking some invigoration draught to keep him awake, when the doors of the ward burst open and a group of aurors hustled in and ran up to him. He sighed inwardly as he recognised the three ex-Griffindors Dean Thomas, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter, but ignored it for the sake of his job. Ron, who obviously looked very unsure of himself, spoke first. "He needs fixing" he staggered a little, and Draco noticed that Harry was unconscious in the man's arms. "Do you know what happened to him?" Draco frowned down at the body. "A curse on the left arm, we didn't hear what it was" Dean answered clearly. "Right" Draco replied, and much to the other men's horror, lifted Harry onto a shoulder, and carried him to the nearest empty bed.

The two healthy looking men watched in awe at Draco's strength, then as he started reaching for various potions. Once he had finished with applying several potions to the gruesome wound, and forcing a few others down Harry's throat, Draco turned to face the other two. "Mr Potter won't be waking until tomorrow, so you can visit him then" he walked to his desk and found a piece of paper in a draw, and handed it over along with an already inky quill "but before you leave I need you to sign these and hand them in at reception." They nodded, and headed out of the room. Draco sighed as he went to check on some of his other patients. He knew that tonight, the nightmares would become worse.

Harry woke up staring at a bright white ceiling. He groped around next to him for his glasses and groaned in pain at the movement of his left arm. Then he remembered. He quickly sat upright, still without glasses, and was faced with a figure with long ginger hair and a worried looking expression. Ginny. "Harry, you're awake" she handed him his glasses, and noticed bags under her eyes. "Ginny are you ok?" He took her by the hand with his right one, and stared into her beautiful eyes. "I should be asking you! I've been here all night, worried sick. Harry I hate having to see you like this, sometimes I wish you'd get a safe job" she squeezed his hand, and stroked his hair lovingly. Harry closed his eyes at the gentle touch. He really wanted to make Ginny happy but... "Honey you know I can't get another job knowing that my family isn't living in a world free of bad wizards" he reminded her soothingly. "But what if... what if the worst happened? Harry it would break so many hearts! Me, Albus, James, Lily, my mum-" Harry put a finger over Ginny's lips. "Please... don't..." he winced at the thought of everyone he loved, crying over his death. He would not let it happen. Never. "I have to go to collect Albus and Lily now, I'm glad you're ok." She kissed each finger on his right hand "I love you" "I love you too Ginny, send my love to Molly and the kids" he smiled sadly at her, and waved slightly as she left.

Although he was tending to a woman with a snake bite, Draco had kept a sharp eye on Harry and Ginny. It was enviable how lovingly they gazed at each other, and Draco wished with regret that he had someone to love.

When Ginny had left, Harry went to move his left arm and it started to bleed violently. Draco cursed under his breath, and rushed over with a flask of potion to sort it out. He gently poured some of the liquid onto the wound and it immediately stopped bleeding. Draco then got his wand out, and muttered a spell that closed the gash slightly. All the while Harry had quietly sat staring at the precision of the man's actions. "Malfoy?" His voice croaked, shocked. Draco frowned "are you experiencing pain in your throat?" "N-no, no I'm not" he stuttered more clearly with a flustered look. Draco nodded, and glanced at Harry's dark hair, messy as it had always been. "S-so you became a Healer?" "Yes" Draco said quietly, as he bent down to inspect the horrific left arm once again "you were quite lucky, if you hadn't got here sooner... bye bye arm" he laughed without humour, and walked away.

Last night's nightmares certainly had gotten worse. Over and over again, he had seen Harry getting cursed, injured, and killed, every time Draco only being able to watch. He was not sure why he was dreaming of the auror, but he still wasn't getting any sleep.

Harry stared as Draco strode over to another bed. The only ways he had changed was his remarkably polite attitude, the dark rings under his eyes, and that somehow his pale skin had gone even paler. His hair was the same almost-white blonde, eyes the same grey, and he was as skinny as ever. He still looked attractively youthful, but not like a teenager.

It shocked Harry that Draco was a Healer, and scared him that the man was here. During his time at Hogwarts, Harry may had developed a light crush on his rival... He gulped and tried to keep in mind his beautiful wife, and perfect three children. He had only been staring at those magnificent gray eyes out of habit.

A few minutes later, Dean and Ron rushed in, holding a large card. They both sat down on the right side of Harry, and smirked. "Guys... what is that...?" Harry questioned. Ron snickered "Mary thought it was a good idea to get you a get well card" "You're very popular as expected" Dean carried on, giving Harry a wink. He groaned and blushed, as Ron handed over the envelope. As soon as Harry had slipped a finger under the fold, a loud 'GET WELL SOON HARRY' was projected around the room, and the dark haired man blushed deeper, and was too late to try to hide the noise under his bed covers. The other two were practically falling off their chairs in laughter, and Draco along with some other Healers shot them a stern glance. Harry looked inside, and the card was filled with messages of getting better as soon as possible. "Thanks..." Harry gave his friends an uncertain look. "That's ok mate, we know you hate it" Ron grinned. "We have to get back to work now, but it was nice seeing you" said Dean regretfully, and after a nod from Ron, they both left.

'This could get quite lonely after a while...' thought Harry to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco woke up screaming. Draco didn't scream. This scared him almost much at what had made him scream. He lay in bed, panting, hot with sweat, yet cold with fear. In between gasps of air, he sobbed like he had when he was just a boy. He sobbed as the images of Harry filled the dark room. 'It was a dream' he told himself 'you're alive, he couldn't have killed you' his breathing slowed a little, but he was still crying.

He grasped his bed covers, and after reaching for his wand lit the fire. He trembled, and wished that he had someone to hold, someone to comfort him, someone fix him... he thought of Harry. 'NO. You won't get sympathy from him, he has a family to care for. Never mind the fact that he's in St Mungo's with a violently injured arm' Draco sighed. He just had to be strong. He'd tried everything. Potions, spells, books, coffee, fresh air, warmth, alcohol... nothing worked. A slight squirm in the man's stomach remained him that he hadn't eaten anything for over a day.

Draco peeled himself out of bed and inspected himself in the mirror. His hair was pointing in various directions from tossing and turning, and his too white skin only added to the darkness of his circles. His silk pajamas were baggy over his stick-thin arms and legs, but Draco hadn't the heart to buy himself a new pair. He reached the kitchen - but the only food there was apples. A bowl of apples, the only food the man could force himself to eat. He bit into one, and let the sweet juice distract him of his troubles.

When Harry woke, the ward was dark. He wondered what had stirred him, when he saw Ginny sat to his right, with a pained look in her eyes. "Ginny!" Harry whispered, and tried to reach for her hand; she pulled away. "Harry... I have something to tell you... can you promise me you'll be mature about this?" He nodded enthusiastically, and Ginny sighed. "I... Harry I'm in love with Dean" she whispered. The colour drained from Harry's face, and he slumped onto his pillows. "What?" "I'm so sorry... it just... happened... and... we're moving to Scotland... the kids and I..." "YOU'RE WHAT?!" Harry yelled, a muffled 'shh' was heard in the background. Ginny winced "I'm sorry, you can visit when you like, but..." she trailed off. "Goodbye Harry" As he watched her leave, angry tears formed and he wanted her back, kissing him, holding him, comforting him. But she was gone.

When he next woke up, it was light and his face was damp with salty tears. Draco walked up to his bed, and applied a potion to the wound. "Mr Potter it's been a week, and not once have you cried from the pain of this wound. What might it be that's upsetting you this morning?" He asked in a very indifferent way. Harry noticed the change from his old sarcastic drawl, and without thinking, grabbed onto the Healer's arm with his right hand, and cried into it. How could Ginny do this to him? He loved her! He loved their children! How could she be so selfish?!

When Harry finally pulled away and apologized, Draco sighed and reached for something on his desk. "Have an apple" he walked off to tend to a patient who was writhing in his bed and screaming from pain (he had only been there for a day).

Harry wasn't quite sure why he'd been given a piece of fruit, but he bit into the red apple anyway. He closed his eyes and resisted a moan as his mouth was filled with sweet juice, and suddenly it was all he could think about. How amazing it was, to take solitude within this magnificent fruit. His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet chuckle; Draco had returned. "How's that working for you?" "All my troubles... gone with one bite..." Draco grinned "you're the only person I know to have ever agreed with me on that. We could've been great friends back at school" Harry smiled back, remembering their feud "that we could."

Draco hadn't really thought when he handed Harry the apple. Apples had only ever helped him, so when he returned to find they had the same effect on his old enemy, he couldn't help but smile. Whatever it was that Harry was upset with, Draco no longer cared. He had made the man feel better for now, and that's all . If he would later want to talk about it, Draco would be there. That's his job. "Draco?" "Yes?" "Can you stay with me?" "... not during my working hours, no, but if you want I could make a visit..." Draco felt obliged to do as Harry wished; he did owe him after all. "Please do" the man went back to eating his apple, in a signal that the conversation had ended.

Draco wandered around the ward, tending to his patients, filling in forms, and eventually apparated home to change. He had time for an apple, then he apparated back to St Mungo's, but this time, a visitor.

He signed his name in the book, and wandered up to the ward he knew Harry was lying in.

Draco approached the bed, and slowly sat down in the chair. The dark haired man had his eyes closed, but sensed there was someone there and opened them. He smiled slightly when he saw Draco. "You came" Draco sighed "I said I would..." "Do you care about me? I mean... would you comfort me? I doubt anyone else will... even my closest friends..." he looked uncertainly into Draco's gray eyes. "I don't know why you think no-one will comfort you but go on." "Ginny's moving to Scotland with Dean - Dean Thomas. She's taking the children with her. I can't... I can't believe she'd..." he started crying once again. Draco reached out for the tearful man's hand out of instinct, and started to comfort him. Rubbing his hand, patting his back, and making shushing sounds as Harry cried into his shoulder.

He was shocked, not that Harry was upset, but that Ginny had done such a thing. A week ago she had been looking at him with such love, and now... Draco suddenly felt a great anger at the Weasley, and at the man who claimed to be Harry's friend. Harry didn't deserve this, he was a good man, who needed love and protection more than anyone. He had had such a rough life, no-one, especially that Weasley, had the right to hurt him again. "I'm sorry Draco..." Harry sniffed as he pulled out of the comforting embrace. "I just... I trusted both of them... I'm sorry for making you do this" he sniffed again. "It's fine, they both went wrong. They don't deserve you." Harry smiled sadly "she's selling the house too. My home. I could live with Molly but... that would be awkward. I guess I'll have to go house hunting once I' of here but-" "You could live with me!" The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them, and Harry was staring at him. "I-I mean... I've got loads of spare rooms... and you won't find a house straight away so..." Harry laughed "thanks Draco, I don't know what I'd do without you"

Draco spent another hour talking to Harry, before he went home to rest. Or rather, try to rest.


	3. Chapter 3

Harry woke up screaming. He'd just experienced a vivid dream about Ginny and Dean becoming Death Eaters and trying to kill him. It was ridiculous of course, but it still scared him. Two of the people Harry had previously trusted with his life and heart, had turned their backs on him. Ginny's family would be on her side, and Hermione would be obligated to stick to Ron's way of thinking. Harry had been left alone, and stuck in St Mungo's, with no-one but his ex-enemy to comfort him.

As he clung onto the sweat-dampened sheets, Draco rushed over to his side. "Are you in pain?" He asked, probably because of work, but with a tone of slight concept. Harry's breathing started to calm. "I'm fine" he breathed. "Would you mind attempting to move your injured arm a little?" Harry stared suspiciously, but moved his arm outwards all the same. He winced a bit at the aching feeling he experienced, but there was no sharp pain. Draco smiled "it looks like you'll be able to leave very soon, perhaps tomorrow. I'll consult my superior, but I'm sure they'll agree." "Can... can I still stay at yours for a while before I find myself a new place?" Harry asked uncertainly. "Of course! Stay here until the end of my shift, and I'll take you there by floo" he grinned, before leaving the ward, presumably to talk about Harry being let go.

Harry smiled to himself. Despite all that had gone wrong, at least he had a place to stay and perhaps a new friend. He wondered idly if Draco still lived at Malfoy Manor.

When Draco got home, he felt obliged to prepare a room for Harry. It would be best to give him the room next to his own, so if Harry needed anything he didn't have far to go. Also, that room was built with an en suit, so he wouldn't have to remember where all the bathrooms are in the large mansion.

After sorting out the room, Draco also thought he should buy in some food other than apples, but... he didn't know where to start. As he ate a juicy green apple, he thought about how every Friday he'd force himself to go out for dinner, and what he ate there. That was food too complicated to even contemplate, so the man decided to leave the food store how it was.

Accepting defeat, he lay in bed and braced for the nightmares.

-the next morning-

Draco dressed himself in his Healer's robes, and for the first time in his life, felt self-conscious about the now almost black circles under his eyes. Without even bothering to think why, he brushed away his concerns, and reached for one of his beloved apples. For reasons unknown to him (similar to the self-consciousness), Draco felt too weak for apparation this morning, so he used the floo network for arrival at St Mungo's.

As he started to walk towards his ward, the man was stopped by a young woman in smart robes, holding a quill and parchment. "Healer Malfoy?" She asked. "Um... yes..." he gave her an uncertain look. "Is it true," she continued as if he hadn't been so rude "that you've been treating Harry Potter in your ward for the past week?" "Yes..." 'oh' he thought 'so that's why she wants to talk to me' "Marvelous! Would you mind coming with me for a quick interview?" "Yes, actually, I have a job here that I intend to fulfill" he pushed passed her towards his ward again, but she followed. "Oh but it won't take any longer than a few minutes!" The woman persisted onwards "I'd just like to talk with you about how he's dealing with the injury and what he-" Draco whipped around to face her "are you really that desperate?" "What? I-I don't know what you mean!" "Yes you do. Potter's an Auror, he must get injured all the time, and do you really think people will be interested to read about him all these years after the war? And I doubt anyone would believe what you say about him after the many lies told during his school years" "Well... Ah! But Mr Malfoy, it's interesting how you're sticking up for him, were you not once sworn enemies?!" "Wow, you really are desperate" he gave her a sarcastic smile. "I don't have the time or the energy for this, I need to go tend to my patients" and with that, he walked off once again, leaving the woman stunned to the spot.

Harry was eating breakfast, when Draco rushed in, looking a little out of breath, and got straight to work with treating patients. He was shortly followed by a young woman, who quickly noticed Harry and ran over to him. "My, my, it's Harry Potter!" The woman exclaimed. "How lovely to see you, my name is Romilda Vane, you might recognise me from back at school!" She added enthusiastically. Harry groaned; he remembered her. She was one of his crazy fangirls who tried to give him a love potion - it ended up with Ron in the end. "I'm a reporter now, I was sent here to find an interesting story, and I found you!" She beamed. "How convenient..." Harry sarcastically murmured, but she ignored him. "So, how did you get here?" Romilda positioned a pen to paper, ready for his answer. Knowing that even silence would give reporters like her an answer, Harry didn't hold back. "By apparation" he replied. "You're so funny!" Romilda giggled, and her dark hair bounced fully. "Why are you here?" "I was injured" "Of course you were silly," she cooed annoyingly "but I want to know how you were injured and it's effects on your life" she batted her eye-lids at him. He sighed "I was injured doing my job and it's caused mild inconvenience to my daily routine and I'm sorry but I'm going to ask you to leave now" Harry finished. Romilda stared at him for a moment, then without warning, started kissing him on the lips roughly, licking at his lips.

Harry was unable to move under her force, until, mercifully, she was pulled away from him. He wasn't surprised to see Draco grabbing her by the arm with a murderous glare. Romilda looked terrified that the ex-Death Eater might kill her. "This is a hospital," he hissed, not wanting to attract attention "not your bedroom, the local pub, or wherever else you set your sad little fantasies. Mr Potter is my patient, and I absolutely will NOT accept fangirls - no matter how professional their reason is - coming in and crushing him under their idol-driven desires. Now I suggest you get out of this hospital right away, and find yourself another story" he dragged her out of the room with a very authoritive walk.

Ron walked in, staring a little behind him at the scene, and then sat awkwardly next to Harry. "Mate..." Harry sighed. This was going to be about Ginny. "I don't know what got into her. I thought..." Harry refused eye-contact. "Harry, mate, I'm on your side! So is mum! The whole family in fact! She did this behind all our backs, and... well..." Harry turned and smiled at the man who was blushing as red as his hair "thank-you. I thought I was going to be so alone..." "It's ok. No-one can believe what she did to you, and when I get my hands on that Dean..." he growled, and Harry chuckled. "It's ok. Don't get me wrong; I'm heart-broken! I thought Ginny loved me, and Dean... I trusted him with my life. But it could be worse. I can visit the kids, and I have somewhere to stay while I look for my own place. And I'm especially happy now that I know I've got people on my side" he grinned at his best friend, and Ron grinned back. "Glad she didn't do too much damage. I have to go now, I'm happy to have cleared that up." "Bye then" "Bye! Oh, and mum says you're welcome to visit her whenever you like, and she's going to have some stern words with Ginny as soon she can track her down" he added as his friend waved him off.


	4. Chapter 4

Draco had taken the shocked reporter to reception, and asked them to find her a story. This girl was persistent; there was no way he could trust her to just leave. A bright receptionist found that the Longbottoms would be more than happy to have a story about them, and Draco went back to his ward.

He was welcomed by a grinning Harry who had dressed himself already, and was sitting cross-legged on his hospital bed. Draco couldn't help but notice how good-looking the dark-haired man was. His hair was messy as usual, covering his scar. He was wearing a loose shirt, which had sleeves rolled up to the shoulder; showing off Harry's muscular arms, and dark blue jeans. He wore no shoes, but black socks. The man was dressed like a muggle, and Draco found it surprisingly attractive... "Harry, you're smiling" he laughed, and the other returned it. "I've just heard the best news ever!" He grinned even wider, and it was weird how it made Draco's heart flutter. "And?" He couldn't help but smile back; Harry looked amazing with this easy expression. "Ron came in today, and he said that all his family are on my side! They're all really shocked that she could do such a thing" Draco noticed how Harry avoided saying 'Ginny' and saw that the gleam in the man's eyes had gone after mentioning her. But he still kept the smile going. "That's great! Look, I'm going to be really busy today, and it's quite obvious that you don't need any more treatment, so I'll see you later." "See you"

By the time Draco had finished his shift, Harry was bored out of his mind. He was just about to get himself another tea, when the blonde finally walked up to him, looking rather flustered. 'He looks good like tha-' Harry stopped the thought in its tracks. He was just getting over HER... "Do you want to get going?" He asked. Harry nodded, and they went up to the floo in silence.

When they stepped out of the fire, Harry almost gasped at how grand it was. They'd arrived at a bedroom, and by the unmade bed covers, the man assumes it was Draco's. The blonde led him out of the room, and into the one next door. "This is your room. It has an en suit so you won't have to worry about finding a bathroom, and the one we were just in is mine. If you need anything... I don't usually leave my room. Feel free to wander around, if you want anything to eat, I'm sorry but you'll either have to live off apples like myself, or get some food yourself. You can use the kitchen as you would your own." Harry raised his eyebrows. "You only eat apples?!" Draco blushed. "I go out for dinner on Friday..." "Even still! Wait, isn't today a Friday?" He mused. "Oh... so it is... oh well, I'll go again next week." "No way am I letting you do that, you'll starve!" Harry felt oddly protective over the blonde's health "I'm taking you out." "What?" "We're going to dinner, and then we're going food shopping." And with that, Harry grabbed Draco's bony arm and apparated.

They arrived round the back of a building, and when they reached the front Draco's eyes widened. "You eat at muggle places?" Harry laughed. "Yeah, they're the only places that don't treat me like the-boy-who-lived." "I guess that makes sense..." They walked in, and were given a table with a menu. "Harry?" Draco whispered. "What's a pizza?" "What? You don't know what pizza is?!" He laughed. "No! I assume it's some muggle thing; my dad never really introduced me to..." The man trailed off and Harry felt a pang of regret for him. James Potter may had died before his son could know him, but Lucius was in Azkaban, probably very missed by his son. "Pizza is a dough base topped with tomato sauce, cheese, and any other chosen savory foods" Harry explained. They ate their meal without much talk from then on; each reserved with their own thoughts.

When they finished their meal, Harry paid the bill with muggle money and they started walking to a muggle "supermarket". Draco had never been bossed around like he was with Harry now than when he was with his father. But with Harry it felt different. If anyone had told him ten years ago that one day he would like being bossed around by Harry Potter, he would've sent them straight to St Mungo's to have their head checked. Yet here he was, being dragged to muggle places by Harry with a smile on his face.

When they got to the shop, Draco let out a long whistle. It was like nothing he'd ever seen before. He gazed at the rows and rows of bright packets on shelves lit up by bright white lights, the big metal baskets that muggles were pushing around on wheels, and the conveyor belts that led to tills with weak plastic bags that people were using to put their purchases in.

Harry laughed at the blonde's reaction, and went over to a cold row that was piled with raw meat. "Chicken ok?" Draco nodded and put the packet in their "trolley". 'Huh' he thought to himself 'it's already been taken off the bone'. They next went to the vegetables, and Harry picked out some broccoli and potatoes. Then they found the cereals, and they put corn flakes in the trolley. They went on like this until Harry had decided that there was enough food to last them for a while, and Harry used this time a plastic card he claimed representing Muggle money, but Draco wasn't too sure.

When they arrived at the manor, the blonde let Harry put away the items and charm a cupboard to keep the cold things fresh. "Draco... thank-you for letting me stay with you. You're so kind, and I don't know what I'd do without you." Draco grabbed Harry around they waist and hugged him. He shouldn't have done, but he didn't know what else to do. He should have thanked Harry, but he didn't want to do that. He could've escaped to his room, but he didn't want to do that either. In fact, he had been very impulsive with hugging the man.

Harry froze for a moment, then put his arms round Draco. He obviously needed comfort, and Harry needed it too. They stayed like that for a while, then the blonde broke away, sniffing. "Sorry" Harry watched as the other trudged up the stairs to his room, then made his way to his own.


	5. Chapter 5

When Draco woke up screaming once again, the sight in front him did not calm him for once.

Standing by the bed, was Harry Potter holding a knife. The men shared similar looks of surprise and fear. "HARRY WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Draco screamed, clutching his bed covers. "I... I don't know... your scream woke me up, and..." he dropped the knife, and fell to his knees in shame. Once Draco had realised the man wasn't looking to hurt him, he went over to comfort. He sat cross-legged in front of Harry, and took the knife. "Hey. I see you found my knife draw." "Draco... I'm so sorry... I don't understand..." "You were sleep-walking?" Harry nodded. "Draco..." "Harry?" Without another word, the dark-haired man leant in and kissed the blonde on the lips. Oh. That wasn't expected. Draco felt heat rush to the lower part of his body, and hoped it wasn't visible. It probably didn't matter though, since Harry was still attached. Draco cautiously rested his hands on the man's shoulders, and was answered with arms sliding around his middle. The blonde was worried that his skininess would be off putting, but Harry seemed oblivious as he was starting to run his tongue across Draco's bottom lip.

Harry wasn't sure what had made him do it, but now that he was kissing Draco Malfoy, he couldn't stop. He'd just been so confused, instinct took over. And the other didn't seem to mind, which was good. Draco's lips parted, and Harry quickly took the opportunity to stick his tongue in. He immediately started to explore the mouth, while holding onto the blonde stronger. Draco didn't do anything but sit still with his hands on Harry's shoulders.

Eventually the dark-haired man pulled away and stared into the second's grey eyes expectantly. "Harry..." was the moaned reply he got. "Draco" he whispered in return. "I want you. All of you. And I want you to want me back." Draco laughed without humor, and answered "I want you to get what you want. Harry-Potter-boy-who-lived I owe you my life and more, and you deserve to get what you want. Harry grinned. This mistake wasn't turning out to be much of a mistake at all. "I want to see you topless." He suddenly said seriously. "Harry... I don't think you do..." Draco whispered gently. "I know what I want" was the stern reply. Harry started to undo Draco's nightshirt, and Draco let him.

Although the lighting was dim, Harry still had to suppress a gasp. Underneath Draco's shirt, was skin pale as the moon itself, stretched tightly across the ribcage behind it. Gently placing a hand over the left part of the blonde's chest, Harry could feel each bone vibrate slightly at every heart-beat. After a deep breath, he looked up to a face contorted in emotion. Harry reached for Draco's bony hand, and squeezed slightly. He felt tears forming, but worked on keeping them at bay. "Harry..." Draco started "I'm sorry you saw that..." But Harry just shook his head and closed his eyes. "I shouldn't have looked." "No, it's not your fault..." "But... Draco, why? How do you survive like this?" Harry asks through clenched teeth. "I... I don't ever feel up to eating much more than apples, so it's ok. I have a potion that keeps my body going too, so..." Apples. Harry could relate to that. Not only eating apples, but he could see why that in particular. "Well, let's just get some sleep, eh Harry? We both have jobs to go to" he laughed without humor once again. "Um... yeah... I guess..." "What is it Harry?" "I can't sleep alone..." "Oh. Well. Uh. You could sleep with me if you wanted?" "If you don't mind."

When Draco woke up, he just lay and stared at the ceiling. It took him a while to realise that he hadn't woken from a bad dream. A while longer, and he remembered last night. Longer still, he realised that he ought to be confused about the fact that he was the only one in the bed. He was certain Harry had joined him last night. He got up, buttoned his nightshirt and started downstairs.

As he reached the bottom step, a sweet smell enveloped Draco, making his stomach growl. He recognised it as apple, and walked into the kitchen out of curiosity. Harry turned around from the stove at the sound of the door opening, and forced a plate into the confused blonde's hands.

Draco stared down at it, unsure if Harry wanted him to eat the food or just hold it. "Eat it please, Draco" he said as if reading the other's mind. "What is it?" "Apple crumble. I thought since you really like apples, and you need to be eating a bit more..." "Thank-you." Draco sat down at the little table in the kitchen, for the first time in many years, and ate.

It was very good, although Draco's stomach didn't react very well to the sudden intake of energy, and he finished the small portion. It wasn't long until the man had to get to work, and probably the same for Harry, but he had a question first. "Harry?" "Mhm?" "Um... last night... was it, um, like, a rebound?" Draco was worried that Harry would tell him of course it was, and he shouldn't have to question it, but the latter sat down opposite him with an equal expression of distress. "Oh Draco of course not!" he cried patronizingly. "So... you don't love her anymore?" "Not in that way. I think I really only loved her as a sister." "I see" Draco was going to be late if he didn't hurry up.

One more thing. A test. He quickly walked over to Harry, and kissed him on the lips, running his tongue across the man's bottom lip, before pulling away to his reaction. At first it was confused, but when Harry smirked, Draco mirrored the expression and headed to his room to change.


End file.
